New Orleans Hornets Coach Monty Williams said injured point guard Chris Paul is progressing the way doctors expected, but they do not want him to take any chances until he fully recovers from the concussion he incurred Sunday.

Paul sat out his second consecutive game on Wednesday night since colliding headfirst into Cleveland Cavaliers guard Ramon Sessions’ shoulder. There is no timetable for Paul’s return, but the Hornets have hired a neurologist to monitor him daily.

“Obviously we want him back on the floor, but at the same time you never want to put pressure on a guy to get on the floor before he should,’’ Williams said.

“As long as his future is OK and he can deal with life outside of basketball, that’s what I care about. As long as he can be with (his brother) C.J., get married this summer and enjoy all that, I’m cool with everything else.’’

Paul is the first player in the Hornets’ history to be sidelined with a concussion, team spokesman Harold Kaufman said.

According to a published report, six players have missed games because of concussions or concussion-like symptoms in the past month. NBA spokesman Tim Frank confirmed Wednesday the league is consulting with an independent neurologist and may establish a league-wide policy for handling concussions next season.

The NFL and NHL already have policies in place.

“Every team has great doctors. I don’t believe any team would put a player at risk in that situation,’’ Mavericks Coach Rick Carlisle said before Wednesday night’s game against the Hornets.

When he coached the Indiana Pacers, Carlisle said, he had two players who had concussions.

“I had two guys who missed a lot of time,’’ Carlisle said. “They are extremely sensitive situations, because you are dealing with the brain and head.’’

Paul attended the team’s shootaround Wednesday morning, but only watched while riding a stationary bike.

“I just know they are going to evaluate him every day,’’ Williams said. “You don’t want to mess with someone’s brain. It’s one of those things that they don’t want to mess around with, and I don’t blame them.’’

Paul, who watched Wednesday night’s game against the Dallas Mavericks from the bench, has not made any public comments since the injury. But Paul wrote on his Twitter account Sunday night: “Thanks for all the prayers and support. All the tests came back negative. I’ll be back in action ASAP.’’

Paul is the Hornets’ second-leading scorer at 15.9 points per game and leads the team with 9.6 assists per game.

Former Hornets center Tyson Chandler, now the starting center for the Mavericks, said he spoke by phone with Paul on Wednesday morning, and the guard said he was in good spirits.

“It’s very scary when a player goes down like that,’’ Chandler said.

BACK IN LINEUP: Small forward Trevor Ariza returned to the starting lineup after missing three consecutive games with a strained groin. Rookie Quincy Pondexter had struggled replacing Ariza, going 3-of-13 from the field and averaging 2.0 points in his three games as a starter.

“Any time you are out, it’s kind of frustrating,’’ Ariza said. “You want to play. But when you are dealing with a groin, it limits everything can do.’’

BEST OPTION: After the Toronto Raptors bought out Peja Stojakovic’s contract in January, Hornets General Manager Dell Demps had brief discussions about possibly bringing him back, Stojakovic confirmed. But Stojakovic, whom the Hornets traded to Toronto in November, said he made up his mind quickly and decided Dallas was his best option.

“I believe this team has a chance to do something special,’’ said Stojakovic, who sat out Wednesday night’s game with neck and back spasms.

Chandler was questionable to play with a sprained right ankle, but he started.

DRAWING INTEREST: If Hornets forward David West decides to opt of his contract at the end of this season, Chandler said he would draw interest from a number of teams. “He should be able to pick his spot,’’ said Chandler, who played three seasons with the Hornets from 2006 to 2009. “He has such as high basketball IQ, and no matter where he goes, he’ll fit in.’’

West has put off discussions with the Hornets about an extension until the end of the season.

SIGNED TO 10-DAY CONTRACT: The Hornets signed Jerel NcNeal to a 10-day contract Wednesday to provide depth at point guard until Paul returns.

McNeal had started all 40 games with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers of the NBA Development League, averaging 19.5 points, 4.5 assists and 4.2 rebounds. He was a member of the Bobcats’ and Bulls’ Summer League rosters before joining the Houston Rockets for the preseason.

McNeal played four years at Marquette and is the school’s all-time leader in points (1,985), steals (287) and games played (130). He was active Wednesday.